CHICAGO (CBS) — A group of South Side high school students was back in Chicago on Friday, after a trip to Washington, D.C., to visit President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House.

WBBM Newsradio’s Bernie Tafoya reports about two dozen Harper High School students spent the entire day on Wednesday at the White House, where they met with the first lady, and later with the president in the Oval Office.

The visit was a follow-up to Michelle Obama’s visit to their school in April, when she sat down with a panel of students to discuss crime in their neighborhoods.

Harper Students Meet President, First Lady

One student said he almost teared up at being able to meet the president.

“Oh my goodness, it was a wonderful experience. I was almost speechless, but, you know, I wanted to talk to Barack, Mr. President,” he said.

One girl said the president and first lady both offered advice to the students.

“He told us to keep doing what we’re doing, like make sure we complete, reach our goals, and exceed them, and he told us to never give up,” she said. “And she was telling us that it shouldn’t matter where we come from, it just matters where we’re going.”

The students said they’ve been inspired to do just what the Obamas advised them to do, no matter what obstacles they face in their own communities.

I’m a lifelong Chicagoan and could never see myself living anywhere else (except maybe Hawaii!).
I was born on the North Side in 1958 but have lived all but the first three months of my life on the South Side. That said, thank (or is that curse?)...